Reviews
Of course Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle are great tales and fine examples of American literature. I also thoroughly enjoyed his Christmas stories and they really put me in the mood for the season. The rest of the stories were rather unremarkable and unmemorable.
Vivid descriptions, amazing storytelling. Perfect read for fall.
Irving has a knack for creating rich scenery and using the senses to bring a story to life. This is one of my favorite short ghost stories, though it’s a bit long winded (usual for me to feel this way about classic novels), so I tend to skim through some of the paragraphs to get to the good parts.
I don't know how I have lived 26 years on this Earth, and my path has only crossed with Washington Irving's writing until now. Better late than never, but I mourn the time that I did not spend reading his stories. They're lyrical and poetic, and I could easily find myself transported into the setting, as if I was experiencing it myself. Every time I read a new one, I was blown away by how much I fell desperately in love. Not everything aged well, and there were a few stories that were pretty offensive to indigenous peoples, but I do feel like that chalks up to the time period this was written. Not excusable, but explainable. I will definitely be reading this again, or at the very least rereading my favourites, throughout the rest of my life. The Voyage: 5 stars. The highest a short story collection has ever started for me! I think I’m going to like this collection a lot. Roscoe: 4 stars The Wife: 5 stars Rip Van Winkle: 5 stars. I used to have a picture book version of this as a child. The full short story feels so familiar yet new. English Writers on America: 4 stars Rural Life in England: 3.5 stars The Broken Heart: 4 stars The Art of Bookmaking: 5 stars A Royal Poet: 3.5 stars The Country Church: 4 stars The Widow and Her Son: 2.5 stars A Sunday in London: 3.5 stars The Boar’s Head Tavern, East Cheap: 2 stars The Mutability of Literature: 5 stars Rural Funerals: 4.5 stars The Inn Kitchen: 5 stars The Spectre Bridegroom: 5 stars. I think The Spectre Bridegroom might be the most perfect story that has ever been written. Westminster Abbey: 4.5 stars Christmas: 3.5 stars The Stage Coach: 3 stars Christmas Eve: 3 stars. Would have been lovely to read actually during Christmas, but alas, the stars did not align. Christmas Day: 4 stars The Christmas Dinner: 3 stars. I really liked how the last three stories were all connected, but I was also ready to move on. London Antiques: Little Britain: 5 stars Stratford-on-Avon: 5 stars. This one in particular was amazing at making you feel like you were actually there with both the author and Shakespeare. Also, it made me miss it terribly, although I visited it once a decade ago. Traits of Indian Character: 2 stars. I think Irving was trying to defend indigenous people, but it didn't really come across that way. Definitely one of the stories that didn't age well. Philip of Pokanoket: 2 stars. More harmful depictions of Native Americans. John Bull: 3 stars The Pride of the Village: 3 stars The Angler: 4 stars. Trust Washington Irving to make even fishing sound poetic. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: 5 giant, full stars. What a phenomenal story. It's perfect in every way. L'Envoy: A bit of a strange one to end off after the titular story.
I am not a big fan of short stories, and this book was no exception. The stories were too descriptive for me to enjoy them.
Highlights
Books of voyages and travels became my passion, and in devouring their contents I neglected the regular exercises of the school. How wistfully would I wander about the pier heads in fine weather, and watch the parting ships, bound to distant climes. With what longing eyes would I gaze after their lessening sails, and waft myself in imagination to the ends of the earth.
Beautiful.
Irving's expression of his passion for his adventures is touching. It rings true within me too.